Cushion-stuffing machine



April 9, 1929.

J. O. TAYLOR ET AL CUSHION STUFFING MACHINE Filed Deo. 13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet ffy/67%@- v@ *f arfy af e mi m 'll' o [l lli April 9, 1929. J. o; TAYLOR Er AL 1,708,341

CUSHION STUFFING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 9, 1929. J. o. TAYLOR ET AL v CUSHION STUFFING MACHINE 4 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Dec: .15, 1926 Nl QQ MH. u

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Patented pr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,708,341 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. TAYLOR, OF OAK PARK, .AND HARRY DOYLE, OF NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIGNORS TO KROEHLER MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, OF NAPEBVILLE, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CUSHION-STUFFING IIIACHINE.V

Application filed December 13, 1926. Serial No. 154,336.

This invention relates to a machine for stuing cuhsions or mattresses for beds, davenports and the like, and the principal object is to provide a machine of this class which will satisfactorily fill a cushion cover of considerable length, such for example as a full length day bed.

Other objects are to provide stufiing means insertable within and withdrawable from a full length cushion; to provide a raisable cover and a lock therefor, and to engage the cover for raising certain of the cushion stuiiing means and to automatically limit the movement of the cushion stufi'ing means to one complete operation; to prevent the filling of a cushion from being withdrawn; to provide adjustable means for varying the width of the cushions to be filled, to provide rotating means for controlling the movement of the cushion cover; and in general to produce the construction herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevationl of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 5;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 orp Figure 5;

Figure 4 is a view of the discharge end;

Figure 5 is a broken section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2 with the plunger in one position;

Figure 6 is a similar section showing the plunger in another position;

Figure 7 is an end view of the driving -1nechanism; and

Figure 8 is a detail of the rotating means at the discharge end of the machine.

In filling cushions of considerable length, great difficulty is encountered in evenly distributing the filling or stuffing, for if a simple plunger is used to force the filling into the cushion cover, the filling is likely to wad up in a bunch, or to leave a space within the cover, which is not sufficiently filled. In order to overcome these difhculties, the present invention` includes the use of a number of' thin strips which form a partially open bottom and top between which the filling is placed in the proper position, and by which the lling is partially compressed so that the filling can be carried or projected in a thin pad or layer between the strips to lill a cushion cover of considerable length, as compared with its width and thickness. The thin Strips are then withdrawn and the filling prevented from following the strips in their withdrawing movement.

In carrying out this invention,` a suitable frame work designated generally with the reference numeral 1 is provided, which has an operating bed at a convenient height consisting of a number of slats or strips 2 extending lengthwise of the frame and spaced apart to provide runways for operating chains 3 and for a direction control member 4. Pivoted at one end of the frame is a cover 5 raised or counterweighted by a rope G attached to the free end and locked in its lower position by means of a rod 7 which extends loosely through a bracket 8 on the cover 5, one end being engage-able in a plate 9 attached to the frame and the other end being engageable under a hook member 10 carried by the cover. As the rod is flexible, it can be engaged in the plate 9 and then sprung under the hook member 10.

At the hinged end of the cover 5 is an lelectric driving motor 11 mounted in the frame and connected through a reduction mechanism 12 to a cross shaft 13, upon which are gears 14 for driving the stuffing plunger. A reversing switch controller 15 for driving the motor 11 has a contact arm 16 with projections 17 and, 18 thereon, adapted to be engaged by a finger 19 depending from the controlling member 4 which is slidable between the slats 2 and has projections 2O and21 at the ends. The movement of this controlling member 4 causes the iinger 19 to engage the projections 17 or 18, causing the motor to be reversed in its direction of movement or to be stopped.

The plunger mechanism comprises a head comprising cross pieces 22 for each plunger to which the chains 3 are attached for positively moving the plunger-s in both directions. A member 23 is attached to the under side of one of the plunger heads 22 which has a downward projection 24 disposed between the slats 2 in position to engage the upward proj cctions 2O and 21 of the operating member 4 so that the movement of the plunger head in onev direction causes the engagement Vof this projection 24 to move the operating member 4 in one direction or thereby reversing or stopping the motor. rlhis operation occurs at or near the end oi travel of the plunger.

Attached to each plunger head 22 are a.

number of thin strips 25 which are spaced apart, resting upon the slats 2 so that the filling material 26 can Vbe properly positioned thereon when lthe cover is raised,

as indicated in the broken outline in Figure 1*. lCorresponding thin strips 27 are conei'ifgngggeI beneath the cross member 29 'so that y when the cover is raised, the upper strips 27 will also be raised as indicated in Figure 1.

VThis vwill allow free 'access to the bed of the machine for adjusting andV placing the lilling on the lower, strips '25. vWhen the plunger heads 22ar'e advanced, the cross pieces 29 slip out oit engagement Jfrom the hooks 30 lso that the" covers 5 may be raisedV withoutI raising the strips 27. The present machine'is shown 'as a double pad iiller with two covers, as shown more clearly in Figure 2, with a 'cent-ral dividing partition 31 and with adjustable side-pieces 32 for limiting the 'width "of the "cushions to be made. These side pieces are adjustable inwardly by means of slotted brackets 33 having wing nutsv 34 operating in the slots and 'conH ne'cfte'd to the fra-me oi" the machine for 'adjusting and holdin-g the side pieces 32 with respect thereto.

#At the `discharging end of the machine are adjustable lsleeves over which cushion covers 315' are applied., wliich are to be illed. These sleeveseach comprise an inner member 36 and an outer slidable member 37 movable inwardly toward the other 'sleeve member on the g'uides'38 so that 'the wit` th of the cushion can` bey vfarie'd. The movable section-oi the sleeve is adjustable and is held in place by a slotted bracket l33 and a wing nut 34- (not: shown) similar to that shown in connec'tion'with the side rail 32. In lthe present machine, the two sleeve members 36 are Vcover at the ends of the sleeves.

nected by cross'pieces 43 and 44 (sec Figure 4), each having one orl more pads' 45 oi yielding `material such as felt or the like to engage the opposite faces of the cushion levers of each pair are connected by a link 46y which has a fixed pivotal connection with the lower lever 41 and a slot 47 andpin` 4S connected with the upper lever 42.V Each link 46 is connected between the pivotl and the contacting end of the upper lever and outside ot tlie'space between the pivot and contacting end of the lower lever, and a spring 49 is connected to the Yfree end of the lower lever 'so that the movement ot the upper lever 4,2 causes a corresponding moves nient of the lower lever, and the same spring not only applies the rotating means to the upper and lower sides ot the cushion covers but also when the upper levers are resting, as shown in Figure 8, the spring holds the levers in their open position.V

Although the filling Y strips .25 and 27 are thin and smooth and the extremities 50 are rounded to prevent-rictional nient with the covers and also with theiilling material itself, the compression ot thev strips may tend to withdraw the lillingmaterial from the cushion after the cushion is formed. In order to'overcoiiie Vany such tendency., the upper cross piece 44 ot the rctarding device is provi-'ded with a number of hinged fingers 51 which extend downwardly over the ends of the sleeves, but rotate freely upward when a cushion is being iilled, as indicatedin Fieure G, but which as soon as the cushion cover and vthe'filling have beenk projected beyond the end of the sleeve will turn downwardly in the path of the iilling so that if there is any tendency oi the filling or cover to follow the strips 25 and 27v upon their withdrawing movement, the iningers`21 will engage them and prevent them.

In operation, the cover or covers 5 :inf the upper filling strips l27 are raised as indicated in Figure 1; the filling is then applied upon the bed of the machine over the strips 25 and beyond the extremities of the strips, as shown in Figure 5; the Iretarding device is raised, as shown in Figure 3 to allow the 'cushion cover to bc iitted 'on the sleeve, vthe cover istheii closed and held position by theloclring rod 7 and the rctarding device is rotated to the retarding position as shown vin Figure 1. A table or bench 52 is usually ldisposed iny front ot the machine, substantially at the height. lof the discharging fsleevesfso that as the plungers project the fillingfinto the cushion cover,

hese

it all will rest upon the table 52 and will slide freely upon it for the full length of the cushion to be made. To operate the projecting mechanism an electrical connection is closed for the motor 11, which moves the plunge' head 22 in a discharging direction until the projection 24 engages the upward extension or projection 21 of the operating member 4, which moves the finger 19 into engagement with the projection 18 of the controller 15, which thereupon assumes the position shown in Figure (i, reversing the direction of rotation of the motor and thereby withdrawing the plunger and its filling strips from the filled cushion cover. This withdrawing action continues until the contact 24 engages the other end 2() of the control member et which causes the movement thereof so that the finger 19 engages the projection 17 of' the controller, returning it to the position shown in Figure 5 and shutting off the motor. rlhus a complete set of operations has been completed and the machine is ready for another similar action and use.

Vie claim:

1. In a cushion stuffing machine, a fixed bed or frame, a plunger slidable thereon having tivo sets of strips one of which is hinged to the plunger, and a cover movable upwardly from the frame and having means for engagement with the hinged set of strips for moving the latter upwardly with the cover. n

2. ln a cushion stuiiing machine, means forming a horizontal bed, a cover applicable over the bed, a plunger reciprocable upon the bed below the cover and comprising upper and lower seis of strips, the upper strips being hinged at one end to the plunger, and means in connection with the upper set of strips and the cover for raising the strips when the cover is raised.

In a cushion stufiing machine, a frame 'forming a horizontal bed, a cover hinged at one end of the bed, a reciprocable plunger movable upon the bed below the cover and comprising two sets of strips adapted to extend above and below a cushion stuffing placed therebetween, means for confining the strips in discharging the filling, and means for locking the free end of the cover in engagement with the frame during the reciprocating movement of the plunger, said means including a cross piece with an apertur'ed plate and a fieXible rod engaging the cover and insertable in the aperture of the plate.

t In a cushion stufiing machine, a plunger havin(y a plurality of hinged strips, a hinged cover movable downwardly over the plunger and its hinged strips, a hook member extending between and below the hinged strips, and a cross piece engaged by the hook member so that the hinged strips may be reversed with the cover.

5. A cushion stufiing machine, comprising a pair of reciprocable plungers, a partition separating the plungers, a pair of sleeves arranged close together through which the plungers move, the sleeves being placed close together' so that a double cushion cover can be placed thereon' and the two portions thereof filled simultaneously, such cushion being foldable upon itself and the division line therebetween.

6. A sectional cushion stuffing machine, comprising cushion cover receiving sleeves placed close together, a cushion filling bed, partition means in the bed dividing it into compartments in accordance with the sleeves, and separate plungers simultaneously operated for separately ejecting cushion fillings through the sleeves Jfrom the bed plate and into a cushion cover which is connected between the sleeves.

7. In a sectional cushion stufling machine, in accordance with claim 6, a pair of cushion cover receiving sleeves, each comprising two substantially U-shaped sections slidable laterally one lwithin the other, the adjacent inner sleeves being spaced apart slightly so that the cushion partition can be inserted therebetween, and the two outer slidable sections being adjustable laterally to vary the width of the cushion to be formed, and adjusting means for holding these outer sections in place.

8. In a cushion stuffing machine, a sleeve for receiving a cushion cover to be filled, means for projecting a filling through the sleeve, hinged levers having means carried thereby for engaging a cover at the upper and lower front edges of the sleeve for retarding the movement of the cover therefrom, a link connecting the levers for movement together, and a single spring connected to one of the levers for holding them both yieldingly in open and closed position.

9. In a cushion suffing machine, a sleeve for receiving a cushion cover to be filled, means for projecting a filling through the sleeve and into a cushion cover, and means yieldingly engaging a cushion cover during its filling movement to prevent the return movement of a filling and a cover with the returning movement of the said projecting means.

JOHN O. TAYLOR. HARRY DOYLE. 

